WTF, it's less than 4 days away.... DIG IN.
HUGE GAME right here.
Currently, we would NOT qualify for the playoffs if the season ended now.
Our NFC record hurts us, and this is a huge conference game, and divisional game. Battling with the Bears, and Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Saints... this game is significant for many reasons. The Vikings will play this game as if it's their Super Bowl. (insert joke here)

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings are down to their final seven days of evaluating the progress of receiver Sidney Rice's surgically-repaired hip. The assumption has long been that Rice would be ready for Sunday's division matchup against the Green Bay Packers, but let's just say the situation grew darker Wednesday.

(We're not in Theatre of the Absurd territory, but we're getting there. For now, let's call it Theatre of Getting Stranger By the Minute.)

Coach Brad Childress admitted that he didn't know if Rice would return at all this season, while Rice posted an angry message on his personal blog to defend his longer-than-expected absence. Even agent Drew Rosenhaus got into the fray, telling ESPN's Adam Schefter that "we've never given any consideration to him not playing this season."

First, the facts: Rice's 21-day practice window closes Nov. 24. At that point, the Vikings must either add him to their 53-man roster or shelve him for the rest of the season.

The team's medical staff cleared Rice for full practice two weeks ago, and it was believed he would be activated as soon as he got his conditioning up to speed. Childress has said the timing of his return is up to Rice, and on consecutive weekends Rice has told the Vikings he does not feel ready to play.

Asked Wednesday if he is confident that Rice would play at some point this season, Childress said: "I don't know. I don't know. I know what I see with my eyes in terms of him practicing, how many snaps he could give you, how many realistic snaps. Would he break down again? Those are all things you'd have to guess on."

What's going on here? Didn't the Vikings suggest in August that Rice would be ready to play by midseason? Why is everyone getting so touchy?

In essence, we have a player in the final year of his contract. The team hasn't offered a new deal, knowing that under the current collective bargaining agreement, he isn't eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2012. The Vikings have sorely missed Rice this season, raising his value to an all-time high, and the dirty fact is Rice would only hurt his value if he plays -- and produces -- at less than 100 percent during the remaining games of this season.

No one has suggested Rice is intentionally dragging his feet, either to jump-start negotiations or portray himself as more injured than he really is. But that aura has hung over the situation ever since Childress publicly put the ball in Rice's court.

It makes sense to listen to how a player says he is feeling. At the same time, however, Rice has been painted into a corner. If he doesn't return this week or next, he'll be portrayed as a player who tapped out. Few NFL players want that moniker.

In a Wednesday blog post titled "A Bunch of Bull," Rice said he was still feeling "significant discomfort" in his hip at the end of last week. He added: "My objective is to get out on the field and play when I'm healthy and it has nothing to do with my contract."

Ominously, Rice also wrote that the still-unspecified surgery he had was "very serious" and that there is "way more" to returning from it than people might realize. He wrote that he hoped to play Sunday against the Packers, but that he will make a decision Saturday based on how he feels after a week of practice.

If you're a conspiracy theorist, you're thinking that at the very least, Rice is feeling cornered and passively pressured to return. Even if you believe everything at face value, you can see Rice is conflicted about how to handle a delicate situation and concerned about the perception the team has created.

I have no idea what to believe at this point. I'm sure this happens often in the NFL, but rarely do you see it being played out in public. I will say this: Any time a player feel compelled to title his latest blog post "A Bunch of Bull," you've got trouble.

Brett Favre is incredibly dangerous in what could be his final revenge game against the Packers. But does he have the health and weapons to outduel Aaron Rodgers? The guess here is no.

Rob Demovsky (5-4)
Packers 30, Vikings 23

The Vikings are one more loss away from being left for dead this season, and the Packers are more than capable of doing it. They’re coming off the bye, rested and as healthy as they’ve been all season. It’s never easy in the Metrodome, but the Packers will end a two-game losing skid there.

Mike Vandermause (4-5)
Vikings 20, Packers 17

The Vikings have endured a miserable season but can salvage some pride, if not faint playoff hopes, by beating their most hated rival. Brett Favre badly wants to finish his career with a winning record against Ted Thompson. Brad Childress, meanwhile, is coaching for his job. Then there’s the Metrodome, where the Packers have typically struggled.

Kareem Copeland (4-5)
Vikings 28, Packers 27

I can’t imagine the Vikings will lay down with their season on the line, at home and against their No. 1 rival. Don’t forget the Vikings are 17-3 in the Metrodome dating back to 2008. A loss and the season is officially over in, supposedly, Brett Favre's last year. There’s no room for error and their current 3-6 record does not reflect the talent on the roster.

J-Mike88 (5-4)
I'm afraid I'm with Kareem the dream Copeland on this one. As bad as T-Jack was before last year, and as badly as they've played this year, the Vikings don't lose often in that damn dome over the past 3 seasons. Sidney Rice is activated, and ready to go.
He and his agent wouldn't let him go out there and rack up piss-poor numbers if he wasn't ready.... it's a contract year. He'll make a difference and as always, the Vikings make this game their Super Bowl there in that fake-noise hell-hole.

I see a Ryan Longwell, last play game winning 51-yard FG to rip our hearts out. I've seen it too many times in that place, and still am pissed Mason Crosby has missed all his last-second game-winning FGs, so I can see the bad irony here. Things will get broken in my house if that scenario plays out.
Vikings 24, Packers 23

85-10 last three games. Came out and dominated outta the bye to wipe the Vikings from any playoff hope and probably end Favre's career. Rodgers to Jennings connection looks insane, Rodgers with some of the best throws I've seen from him, period, today; looked sharp and accurate.

Also, loved the way Nance ran the ball. Really aggressive downhill runner. I feel like using him as a workhorse and Jackson as our 3rd down back, where he really excels, could get that running game rolling. Offense seems to be getting on a roll. Defense seems like the best in football (how about Jenkins and Williams today? Wow.)

Such a great game to watch. They brutalized the Vikes at the dump dome and basically just buried their season

Rodgers seems to be getting into midseason form. Last 2 games he has looked really crisp with his passes and the offense seems to be getting in sync. I loved what I saw from Nance today. Time to end the Bjax/John Kuhn combo and go with a Bjax/Nance combo

It doesn't get much better than that.
Matthews didn't dominate, didn't do too much, and we still dominated their asses. That speaks volumes. But they paid a lot of attention to Clay, which helped the other guys on the front 7.

Nance looked good! I don't think Kuhn will be carrying the ball much anymore with Nance running like that, and Starks being kept around.

Here's a photo I thought was interesting. Watching on TV, it's kinda hard to tell sizes/heights. I remember one time being on the sideline of a Packers @ Vikings game, and being just shocked how tall Randy Moss was. Here was the fastest guy on the field, and he also was the tallest non OL/DL guy.

It doesn't get much better than that.
Matthews didn't dominate, didn't do too much, and we still dominated their asses. That speaks volumes. But they paid a lot of attention to Clay, which helped the other guys on the front 7.

Nance looked good! I don't think Kuhn will be carrying the ball much anymore with Nance running like that, and Starks being kept around.

Here's a photo I thought was interesting. Watching on TV, it's kinda hard to tell sizes/heights. I remember one time being on the sideline of a Packers @ Vikings game, and being just shocked how tall Randy Moss was. Here was the fastest guy on the field, and he also was the tallest non OL/DL guy.

Jones had a good game today and when he avoids dumb mistakes our top 3 WRs can go against any in the league, they each bring something different; Jennings is our deep and general go-to guy, Driver is our possession/clutch/hands guy, Jones is the jump ball and middle of the field guy (although he seems to work the sidelines a lot.)

Nance looked good. I hope we really give him a shot against that (overrated imo) Falcon's D.

Huge game coming up against the Falcons, then what SHOULD be two gimmes against the 49ers and Lions. Loss and two wins would put us at 9-4. I feel like the Falcons D is overrated and we can expose it a bit but Roddy White scares me.. we struggle against those big jump ball receivers.

Atlanta is good, but they aren't elite. Nobody is this year. They play very different at home though. It won't be an easy game. I hope we get to see another complete game from the team. THis is a game that very well could be for playoff positioning.

Packers just need to keep this streak rolling. Defense has been just amazing the last 3 weeks

Wow the wide receivers stepped up big time in this game. They caught a lot of big time balls that they have been dropping earlier in the year. I hope we move in the direction of Jennings and Jones as the primaries and Driver coming in on 3 WR sets. I trashed Jones before when he said he was screwing up because he wasn't getting enough opportunities, but for the time being, it looks like he was dead on.

Jones gives us a physical presence that the team needs at the WR position. Driver is not a starter anymore and with his injuries, it would be best if he would be 3rd and he'd probably be more effective. Seems also that Nance is working his way to some more playing time, he kinda brings what Grant brought to this team when he first came in GB.